If you’re looking for Poo Pad Pong Curry in Bangkok, Thailand, Somboon Seafood at Siam Square One is one of the most popular places to try it.
During our Bangkok trip, I knew I had to eat Poo Pad Pong Curry, because skipping it would’ve felt like a mistake.
There are actually quite a few places that serve it,
but finding one that’s genuinely good took a lot of searching.
In the end, my husband and I picked Somboon Seafood,
a well-known seafood restaurant chain.
We were already planning to visit Siam Paragon,
so we chose Siam Square One, the building right across from it.
Somboon Seafood Siam Square One
I’d heard there’s usually a wait here,
so I fully expected we’d have to stand in line,
but maybe because we came a little early, we got seated right away.
It felt surprisingly relaxed at first,
but about 10 minutes later, people started pouring in and the place filled up fast.
Bangkok restaurant review Somboon Seafood menuShall we take a look?
The menu was basically the size of a book—so many options.
They had every kind of seafood dish you could think of.
But wait—why couldn’t I find Poo Pad Pong Curry?
We came here because it’s famous for that dish,
so when I didn’t see it, I asked one of the staff,
and they handed me a separate menu just for it.
Finally.
If you’ve never had it before,
look for “fried soft shell crab.”
I honestly don’t remember the exact version we ordered,
but I think it was the garlic and chili one…or at least something along those lines.
Quick side note: if we’re being precise,
here’s the proper name.
It’s technically Pu Nim Pad Pong Karee, not just Poo Pad Pong Curry—“pu nim” means soft-shell crab, “pad” means stir-fried, and “pong karee” refers to curry powder.
But honestly, everyone just calls it Poo Pad Pong Curry,
so let’s go with that.
We started with a Singha beer and a Coke.
We also ordered a crab fried rice,
but instead of mixing the crab meat into the rice,
they placed it separately on top,
almost like a topping. A little underwhelming, not gonna lie.
Morning glory stir-fry is basically the kimchi of Bangkok—
we ordered it at almost every restaurant we visited.
It was fun because every place made it a little differently.
Then we waited for the Pu Nim Pad Pong Karee to arrive.
And there it was—the curry! The portion was pretty generous.
It was covered in sauce, so it was hard to see at first,
but the crab pieces were big enough that I actually wondered if it was really soft-shell crab.
(It was.)
The combination of curry, rice, and vegetables worked really well.
You know how certain flavors stay with you?
Just looking at the photos now makes my mouth water—maybe because it’s almost lunchtime.
Once I dug into the curry and pulled out the crab,
the meat was nicely plump,
and the shell was soft enough to eat comfortably, which made it really satisfying.
That said, the curry was pretty rich and creamy,
so by the end it started to feel a little heavy.
Altogether, the meal came to about 50,000 KRW,
which felt pretty reasonable.
When we came back out, the line had gotten seriously long.
Somboon Seafood has several branches around Bangkok,
so you don’t have to go all the way to Siam Square One specifically.
I’d recommend checking the Google rating for each location before you go.
That said, it’s such a popular chain
that you’ll probably run into a wait at peak hours no matter which branch you choose.
So no, this wasn’t one of those “wow, this is life-changing” meals,
but if you’re craving Poo Pad Pong Curry,
it’s definitely a solid Bangkok restaurant worth trying once.
Somboon Seafood Siam Square One